JP6638250B2 - Synthetic resin container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a synthetic resin container provided with a reduced-pressure absorption panel that absorbs a pressure change in the container after filling and sealing the contents.

  Conventionally, a synthetic resin container obtained by forming a bottomed cylindrical preform using a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, and then forming the preform into a bottle shape by biaxial stretch blow molding, etc. It is generally used in a wide field as a container containing various beverages and the like.

When filling the contents of this type of synthetic resin container, a so-called hot pack, in which heat-sterilized contents are filled and sealed at a high temperature, is also known.
After filling and sealing the contents with a hot pack, the inside of the container cooled to room temperature is in a decompressed state, so in general, containers used for hot packs are deformed inward with cooling. A plurality of decompression absorption panels are provided along the circumferential direction on the container body to reduce the volume of the container and absorb the decrease in the internal pressure.

  On the other hand, when hot-packing the contents, the container becomes positive pressure due to the weight and heat of the contents, and furthermore, the pressure accompanying the filling (small filling pressure), so that the container is deformed so as to expand outward. The load acts on the vacuum absorption panel. And, when the contents are hot-packed, if the decompression absorption panel is fixed in a shape swelling to the outside of the container, not only can the pressure decrease in the container due to cooling not be sufficiently absorbed, There is a problem that the appearance becomes poor.

  As described above, it is considered that the decompression absorption panel is deformed inward so as to absorb a decrease in internal pressure due to cooling, but is also deformed so as to expand outward when the contents are filled. Therefore, a panel shape that allows these reversible deformations is required, and the present applicant has proposed such a panel shape in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent No. 4217890

  However, in the case of this type of synthetic resin container, attempts have been made to form the container as thin as possible in order to reduce its weight and cost by reducing the amount of resin used. In recent years, the demand for such thinning has become more and more severe. And, as the thickness of the container progresses, it becomes more difficult to uniformly deform each of the plurality of decompression absorption panels disposed on the container body. Although it is deformed in the other direction, some other decompression absorption panels can not be inverted inside the container while expanding to the outside of the container, and the tendency of appearance failure is more strongly seen as It has become to.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and in recent years, under the demand for lighter and thinner containers, which has become increasingly severe in recent years, a plurality of decompression absorbers arranged in a container body have been developed. An object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic resin container provided with a reduced-pressure absorption panel capable of exhibiting sufficient reduced-pressure absorption performance without deforming each of the panels evenly and causing a defective appearance.

  The synthetic resin container according to the present invention is a synthetic resin container including a mouth, a shoulder, a trunk, and a bottom, and the trunk includes a plurality of decompression absorption panels disposed along a circumferential direction. There, the decompression absorption panel has a panel body divided into two panel divisions by a valley line extending along the height direction at the center in the circumferential direction, and each of the panel divisions is The container is configured to protrude outward from the container so that the top is formed along the height direction, and a plurality of lateral grooves crossing the top are arranged along the height direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to uniformly deform each of the plurality of decompression absorption panels disposed along the circumferential direction on the container body, and to exhibit sufficient decompression absorption performance without causing appearance defects. it can.

It is a front view showing the outline of the container made of a synthetic resin concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the change of the decompression absorption panel before and after a hot pack, (a) shows the state before a hot pack, (b) shows the state which expanded to the container outside at the time of a hot pack. Is shown.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, the container 1 is formed into a cylindrical preform having a bottom by, for example, injection molding or compression molding using a thermoplastic resin. It is manufactured by molding into a predetermined container shape having a mouth portion 2, a shoulder portion 3, a trunk portion 4, and a bottom portion 5 as shown.

  In manufacturing such a container 1, as the thermoplastic resin to be used, any resin capable of forming the container 1 as described above can be used. Specifically, thermoplastic polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyarylate, polylactic acid, and copolymers thereof, and those blended with these resins or other resins are preferable. It is. In particular, an ethylene terephthalate-based thermoplastic polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate is preferably used. In addition, acrylonitrile resin, polypropylene, propylene-ethylene copolymer, polyethylene and the like can also be used.

The mouth portion 2 is a cylindrical portion on which a screw portion 21 for attaching a lid (not shown) is formed. The mouth portion 2 includes a portion having substantially the same diameter immediately below a support ring 22 generally formed in a container of this type, and has a frustoconical shoulder portion expanding in diameter toward the body portion 4. It is connected to 3.
FIG. 2 shows a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, but the thickness of a portion of the mouth portion 2 below the support ring 22 is omitted. Also, in FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1, the thickness is similarly omitted.

The body portion 4 is a portion that occupies most of the height direction of the container 1, and an upper end portion connected to the shoulder portion 3 is an upper cylindrical portion 41, and a lower end portion connected to the bottom portion 5 is a lower cylindrical portion 42. . Further, a portion located between the upper cylindrical portion 41 and the lower cylindrical portion 42 is a panel forming portion 40 in which six reduced pressure absorbing panels 6 are arranged at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction. The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the height direction of the panel forming portion 40 is a hexagonal shape (see FIG. 3).
The container 1 having such a body 4 has a so-called round bottle-like container shape in which the cross-sectional shape is rounded as a whole.

  In the present embodiment, by providing a horizontal bead 43 extending annularly along the circumferential direction in each of the upper cylindrical portion 41 and the lower cylindrical portion 42 of the body 4, the lateral direction ( Although the load bearing strength in the direction perpendicular to the height direction is increased, these lateral beads 43 can be omitted as appropriate.

  Here, the height direction refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane when the container 1 is erected on a horizontal plane with the mouth 2 up, and in this state, the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions of the container 1 Shall be stipulated.

In the present embodiment, the decompression absorption panel 6 has a vertically long rectangular shape, and has a frame portion 60 that is depressed inward from the periphery thereof to form a step, and a panel main body 61 that is connected to the frame portion 60. are doing. The panel main body 61 is divided into two panel divided portions 63 by a valley line portion 62 extending along the height direction at the center in the circumferential direction.
Further, each of the panel divisions 63 protrudes outward of the container so that a top 64 is formed along the height direction, and each of the panel divisions 63 has a plurality of crossing the top 64. The lateral grooves 65 are arranged in a row along the height direction.

According to this embodiment, since the decompression absorption panel 6 has the panel main body 61 having such a panel shape, when the contents are hot-packed, the decompression absorption panel 6 swells to the outside of the container. Then, when the inside of the container is cooled down to a normal temperature and the pressure in the container is reduced, the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 is smoothly inverted from the state swelling outwardly of the container, thereby deforming the container inward. Can be unimpeded.
This is considered to be due to the following reasons.

  The decompression absorption panel 6 is designed so as to be deformed so as to be largely curved starting from the upper and lower edges, and to be curved in the circumferential direction accordingly. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the panel main body 61 is divided into two panel divided portions 63 by a valley line portion 62 extending along the height direction at the center in the circumferential direction, and each of the panel divided portions 63 is The upper portion 64 is formed so as to protrude outward from the container so as to form a top portion 64 along the vertical direction. However, if the vacuum absorption panel 6 is simply designed in this way, the vacuum absorption panel 6 that swells outward when the contents are hot-packed, for example, as shown by a dashed line in FIG. 4B. , May extend in the circumferential direction, and the shape may be fixed as it is. Also, even if it does not expand significantly until such a state is reached, the top portion 64 of the panel dividing portion 63 may expand and behave so as to prevent reversal during pressure reduction.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in addition to designing the decompression absorption panel 6 as described above, a horizontal groove 65 is provided in each of the panel divisions 63 so as to cross the top 64.
In this way, as shown in FIG. 4A, the length L ₁ of the transverse section including the groove bottom 65 a of the transverse groove 65 along the circumferential direction of the decompression absorption panel 6 provides the transverse groove 65. the corresponding vacuum panels 6 in cross-section to the absence circumferentially shorter than the length L ₂ was traced, further providing the lateral groove 65 so as to cross the top 64, spreads the angle of the top 64 4 (b), it is possible to suppress the expansion of the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 to the outside of the container, as shown in FIG. 4 (b). Further, each panel dividing portion 63 is divided by the lateral groove portion 65 without the top portion 64 being continuous, and has a high degree of freedom of deformation, so that it can be smoothly inverted from a state bulging out of the container. That is, it is possible to prevent the inward deformation of the container.

  4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing how the decompression absorption panel 6 is deformed by enlarging a portion surrounded by a chain line in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4A is a diagram before the hot pack. FIG. 4B shows a state in which the container has swelled outward when hot-packed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, while suppressing the expansion of the decompression absorption panel 6 to the outside of the container when hot-packing the contents, the decompression absorption panel 6 thereafter reduces the pressure inside the container by the amount corresponding to the decrease in the pressure in the container. Inverts smoothly from the state swelling outward without obstructing the inward deformation of the container when absorbing the water. For this reason, while responding to the demand for thinning of the container 1, each of the plurality of decompression absorption panels 6 arranged along the circumferential direction on the body 4 is uniformly deformed, and the appearance is not deteriorated. Sufficient reduced pressure absorption performance can be exhibited.

As such effects are achieved satisfactorily, lateral groove 65 is 30 to 90% of the height direction of the length L _PV of the panel body 61 around the height direction central portion of the panel body 61 Are preferably arranged in a range R. Further, it is preferable that the number of rows of the lateral groove portions 65 arranged in each panel dividing portion 63 is 2 to 26.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the horizontal groove 65 is provided so as to linearly cross the top 64 of the panel dividing part 63 and to have a V-shaped cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Above and below, two inclined side surfaces 65b having a triangular shape with the groove bottom 65a as the base are formed. By forming such an inclined side surface 65b, the rigidity around the lateral groove portion 65 is increased, whereby the expansion of the decompression absorption panel 6 in the circumferential direction to the outside of the container can be more effectively suppressed. .
Further, in the height direction, the two inclined side surfaces 65b can be reversibly deformed such that the two inclined side surfaces 65b open and close around the groove bottom 65a, and the degree of freedom of the deformation can be further increased. Then, when the decompression absorption panel 6 expands outside the container, the two inclined side surfaces 65b are deformed in a direction to open around the groove bottom 65a, but at the time of decompression, the two inclined side surfaces 65b are deformed by their elastic restoring force. Deformation in the direction of closing around the groove bottom 65a is promoted, and it becomes possible to more smoothly invert the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 that has swelled outward from the container.

In such a case, it is preferable that the angle formed by the inclined side surface 65b of the lateral groove 65 intersecting in a V shape is 120 to 160 °.
If it is less than the above range, the rigidity around the lateral groove 65 becomes too high, and there is a tendency to act to prevent the decompression absorption panel 6 from being inverted from the state swelling outside the container. On the other hand, if it exceeds the above range, the rigidity around the lateral groove 65 becomes insufficient, and it tends to be difficult to sufficiently suppress the decompression absorption panel 6 from expanding outside the container.

  The horizontal groove 65 preferably has a V-shaped cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. However, if the same effect as described above can be obtained, the groove bottom 65a of the horizontal groove 65 has a certain width. The inclined side surface 65b formed in the lateral groove 65 may be flat or curved. Further, the lateral groove 65 is preferably provided so as to cross the top 64 perpendicularly to the height direction, but may have a slight inclination.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 1, each of the horizontal grooves 65 arranged in the panel dividing portion 63 is provided apart from the edge of the panel main body 61. In this way, when the decompression absorption panel 6 expands outward from the container, a line connecting one end of the lateral groove 65 adjacent to the upper and lower sides in the circumferential direction (the front end in FIG. 1). (Shown by a two-dot chain line on the reduced pressure absorbing panel 6), the reduced pressure absorbing panel 6 is deformed so as to warp (see FIG. 4B).
Thereby, the amount of deformation when the decompression absorption panel 6 expands to the outside of the container is reduced, and the expansion of the decompression absorption panel 6 to the outside of the container is more effectively suppressed, and the decompression absorption panel deformed so as to bend back. Due to the elastic restoring force of 6, the decompression absorption panel 6 swelling to the outside of the container can be more smoothly inverted at the time of decompression.
In FIG. 4B, the arrow indicates the starting point at which the reduced-pressure absorbing panel 6 is deformed to warp.

In the present embodiment, the length L _TG of the lateral groove 65 is preferably 5 to 12 mm. Further, the length _{L TG} of the lateral groove 65, the circumferential direction length of the panel dividing unit 63, is preferably in the range of 40% to 90%.
If the thickness is less than the above range, the rigidity around the lateral groove portion 65 becomes insufficient, and there is a tendency that the expansion of the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 to the outside of the container cannot be sufficiently suppressed. On the other hand, if it exceeds the above range, for example, when the lateral groove 65 is provided to be separated from the edge of the panel body 61, the separation distance cannot be sufficiently ensured, and as described above, the decompression absorbing panel 6 The starting point when the sheet is deformed so as to warp moves from the line connecting one end of the vertically adjacent horizontal groove section 65 to the edge side of the panel main body 61, and it is sufficient for the decompression absorption panel 6 to expand outside the container. Tend to be unable to be suppressed.

In addition, the depth of the lateral groove 65 (the height difference between the groove bottom and the top 64 when the lateral groove 65 is not provided in the transverse section including the groove bottom of the lateral groove 65) D _TG is 0.5 to 1 0.0 mm is preferred.
If the thickness is less than the above range, the rigidity around the lateral groove portion 65 becomes insufficient, and there is a tendency that the expansion of the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 to the outside of the container cannot be sufficiently suppressed. On the other hand, if it exceeds the above range, the rigidity around the lateral groove 65 becomes too high, and tends to act to prevent the decompression absorption panel 6 from being inverted from the state swelling outside the container. Be looked at.

Although not particularly shown, in order to adjust the rigidity of the decompression absorption panel 6 and deform the decompression absorption panel 6 in a well-balanced manner, the length L _TG and the depth D of the lateral groove 65 depend on the position where the lateral groove 65 is provided. _TG both or one of may be different appropriate.
In the present embodiment, the above numerical range is set by taking the container 1 having a capacity of 500 ml as an example, and these numerical values can be appropriately adjusted according to the capacity of the container 1.

In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the lateral grooves 65 arranged in the panel dividing portion 63 is not limited, but one of the plural lateral grooves 65 is most likely to be located outside the container when hot-packing the contents. It is preferable to arrange the panel body 61 at the center in the height direction of the panel body 61 which tends to swell greatly.
Also, the horizontal groove 65 is vertically symmetrical (including substantially symmetric) about the center in the height direction of the panel main body 61 so that the panel main body 61 can be deformed in a balanced manner in the height direction. Preferably, they are arranged.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, by combining these arrangements, as shown in FIG. 1, the number of arrangements of the horizontal groove portions 65 arranged in the panel division portion 63 is set to an odd number (11 in the example shown in FIG. 1). The horizontal groove 65 is positioned at the center in the height direction of the panel main body 61, and the horizontal groove 65 is evenly distributed along the height direction so as to be vertically symmetrical about the center in the height direction of the panel main body 61. It is preferable to arrange them in rows. Furthermore, one panel division part 63 and the other panel division part 63 are symmetrical (laterally symmetric) with the valley line part 62 as a symmetry axis so that the panel main body 61 can be deformed in a well-balanced manner even in the circumferential direction. It is preferable to arrange the lateral grooves 65 in such a manner, and by arranging the lateral grooves 65 in a more symmetrical arrangement, the panel main body 61 is deformed in a more balanced manner.

  In the example shown in FIG. 1, the panel dividing portion 63 is raised such that the two inclined surfaces intersect at the top portion 64 and a ridge line is formed at the top portion 64, but the inclined surface is flat or curved. Or a surface obtained by combining one or both of them.

In addition, it is preferable that each of the panel divisions 63 is raised so that the top 64 is formed along the height direction at a position closer to the valley line 62 side than the center in the circumferential direction of the panel division 63. . Further, the panel dividing portion 63 protrudes outward from the container so that each of the top portions 64 is formed along the height direction at a position where the panel main body 61 is substantially equally divided in the circumferential direction by the top portions 64. More preferably.
By doing so, the amount of deformation when the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 is deformed inward of the container can be increased, and the reduced-pressure absorption performance can be enhanced.

Also, in consideration of increasing the amount of deformation when the decompression absorption panel 6 is deformed inward of the container to enhance the decompression absorption performance, the top 64 formed in the panel division 63 is positioned at the center in the height direction. It is preferred that the container gently projects outward from the container toward the part.
At this time, the line connecting the tops 64 (the line along the tops 64 in the case where the lateral groove 65 is not provided) may be a curve that curves gently, or a straight line that is bent at the center in the height direction. It may be.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the valley line portion 62 extending along the height direction at the center in the circumferential direction of the panel main body 61 is formed by the inclined surface of one panel dividing portion 63 and the other panel dividing portion 63. Are formed as V-shaped vertical grooves having a valley line intersecting with the inclined surface of the groove as a groove bottom.
At this time, the angle at which the inclined surface of one panel dividing portion 63 and the inclined surface of the other panel dividing portion 63 intersect is appropriately designed in consideration of the mold opening of the blow molding die. Is a plane, it is preferable to form the valley line portion 62 so that the angle between the two inclined surfaces is 120 to 160 °.

  By forming the valley line portion 62 as a V-shaped vertical groove, the swelling of the decompression absorption panel 6 to the outside of the container can be suppressed. In addition, by forming the valley line portion 62 as a V-shaped vertical groove, the valley line portion 62 can be a guiding portion when the decompression absorption panel 6 is deformed inwardly of the container at the time of decompression. .

  In consideration of increasing the amount of deformation when the decompression absorption panel 6 is deformed inwardly of the container and enhancing its decompression absorption performance, the valley line portion 62 is formed so as to be convex outwardly or inwardly of the container. It is preferable that it is gently curved along the height direction. Further, the valley line portion 62 is formed so as to extend in the height direction at a position depressed inward of the container (see FIG. 3), whereby the panel dividing portion 63 is formed from the frame portion 60 side to the valley line. Preferably, it is formed so as to be entirely inclined so as to enter the inside of the container toward the portion 62.

  In addition, in the transfer step when hot-packing the contents, the panel main body 61 is placed at the upper end or the lower end of the frame portion 60 of the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 so that the panel main body 61 does not rub against other containers or transfer devices. In the cross section, it is preferable that the panel main body 61 fits within a virtual arc line formed by a radius connecting the upper end or the lower end to the center of the container.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. Nor.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which six reduced pressure absorbing panels 6 are provided in the container body 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the present invention is applied to a round bottle-shaped synthetic resin container, the number of panels of the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 can be appropriately selected from a range of four to eight.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the shape of the reduced-pressure absorption panel 6 was a vertically long rectangular shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a vertically long oval shape.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a round bottle-shaped synthetic resin container has been described. However, the present invention relates to a so-called square shape having a rectangular or rectangular cross-sectional shape. The present invention can also be applied to a bottle-shaped container made of synthetic resin. In this case, the angle at which the inclined surface of one panel dividing portion 63 intersects with the inclined surface of the other panel dividing portion 63 is, when the two inclined surfaces are flat, the angle formed by the two inclined surfaces. , 120 to 170 ° is preferably formed.

  When applied to a square bottle-shaped container made of synthetic resin, the decompression absorption panel 6 may be provided with four decompression absorption panels 6 along the circumferential direction on the four body side surfaces. Is a rectangular bottle-shaped synthetic resin container, the decompression absorption panel 6 of the present invention is provided only on two opposing surfaces on the long side, and another is provided on the two surfaces on the short side. A panel-shaped decompression absorption panel can also be provided. In any case, by arranging the decompression absorption panel 6 in the present invention on the container body 4 along the circumferential direction, the decompression absorption panel 6 is uniformly deformed, and sufficient decompression is performed without causing appearance defects. It can exhibit absorption performance.

  The present invention as described above can be applied to a synthetic resin container provided with a reduced pressure absorption panel that absorbs a pressure change in the container after filling and sealing the contents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Mouth part 3 Shoulder part 4 Body part 5 Bottom part 6 Decompression absorption panel 61 Panel main body 62 Valley line part 63 Panel division part 64 Top part 65 Side groove part

Claims (14)

A synthetic resin container having a mouth, a shoulder, a body, and a bottom, wherein the body has a plurality of reduced-pressure absorption panels disposed along a circumferential direction,
The decompression absorption panel has a panel body divided into two panel divisions by a valley line extending along a height direction at a circumferential central portion,
Each of the panel divisions is raised outside the container so that a top is formed along the height direction,
A synthetic resin container, wherein a plurality of transverse grooves crossing the top are arranged in a row along a height direction.   2. The synthetic resin container according to claim 1, wherein the lateral groove portions are arranged in a range of 30 to 90% of a length in a height direction of the panel main body with a center in a height direction of the panel main body as a center. .   3. The synthetic resin container according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the transverse groove orthogonal to a longitudinal direction is V-shaped. 4.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lateral groove is provided apart from an edge of the panel body.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the length of the lateral groove portion is 5 to 12 mm.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lateral groove has a depth of 0.5 to 1.0 mm.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein both or one of a length and a depth of the lateral groove portion is changed according to a position where the lateral groove portion is provided.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the horizontal groove portions are arranged in an array such that one of the horizontal groove portions is located at the center in the height direction of the panel main body.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the lateral groove portions are arranged so as to be vertically symmetrical about a center portion in the height direction of the panel body.   The arrangement number of the lateral groove portions arranged in the panel division portion is an odd number, and the middle lateral groove portion is located at the center in the height direction of the panel main body, and the lateral groove portions are evenly arranged along the height direction. The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is arranged in a line.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the lateral groove portions are arranged symmetrically with respect to the valley line portion as a symmetric axis.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the panel division portion protrudes so that two inclined surfaces intersect at the top portion and a ridgeline is formed at the top portion.   The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the valley line portion is formed as a V-shaped vertical groove. The synthetic resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the valley portion is convexly curved outward or inward of the container along the height direction .